President Obama today announced his decision to commute the sentences of 22 convicted drug offenders – many of them serving time after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute either cocaine, heroin, marijuana or methamphetamine.

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“The 22 commutations granted today underscore the President’s commitment to using all the tools at his disposal to bring greater fairness and equity to our justice system,” White House Assistant and Counsel to the President Neil Eggleston in a statement on the White House Website. “Further, they demonstrate how exercising this important authority can remedy imbalances and rectify errors in sentencing.”

“It embodies the basic belief in our democracy that people deserve a second chance after having made a mistake in their lives that led to a conviction under our laws,” he wrote, acknowledging that some were skeptical about his ability to change.

Offense: Conspiracy; use of a communication facility (five counts); distribution and/or possession of cocaine or manufacturing in or near a school facility, aiding and abetting (Northern District of Texas)

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants or 1,000 or more kilograms of marijuana; manufacture of 1,000 or more marijuana plants (Eastern District of Michigan)

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of cocaine base; distribution of a quantity of cocaine base (two counts); distribution of a quantity of cocaine (two counts) (Eastern District of Tennessee)